Stay with Me
by Canadino
Summary: Stay with me," he said. And he did. *contains mild spoilers for the last book*


**Disclaimer: If Shaman King were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.**

Background music: 42 - Coldplay

**Minimal fluff 09!**

**! Warnings: Some spoilers for the last book!**

--

Stay With Me

It was finished.

Hao had been soothed, the world was no longer in danger, the shaman king had been finalized. The last chapter of the book was written, the dead were revived, the spirits sent off back to a permanent rest. Everyone smiled and laughed again and suddenly the world was big again and everyone set off their separate ways, picking up their baggage and seeking out their now bright futures with whomever they wished, no longer having to look behind him to see if a fiery doom was coming. Personally, he was ready to set back off to his hometown, pick up a few loose ends, and…

"Stay with me?" Chocolove pleads, his shades glinting in the sun.

And Lyserg hits re-route on his internal navigator.

--

The Patch took care of the transportation to and fro from the Tournament, but now that it was over and the Natives had to attend to their own business, it was up to the losing contestants to find their own ways home. And in this day and age, slipping across boarders is no easy feat, especially when you didn't have as much prestige and lies to wave around like the Patch.

Lyserg ends up buying their way on an express route back "home" when they sneak into China with a little help from Ren. The bullet train conductors have had specific directions to neither intrude nor ask questions (Ren's family helped a little with this one). It had been a long, hard journey and they were reaching the end of it, the beginning of another. The compartment was empty; the air was deserted of words.

Lyserg leaned against Choco, a comfortable weight. The American had his hand tangled in those green locks, staring outside blankly. It had been a surprise, a pleasant one however, that Lyserg had come with him; after a time of seeking out the fair-skinned Brit in order to see if he was as charming as Ryu made him sound, it was some sort of victory, a kind of 'guy-gets-the-girl-in-the-end' kind of moments.

He had never had a chance. Having come late in the game, he had only been there to see Lyserg as an X-Law (an ex-X-Law, he figured with a dry laugh), and even then Yoh seemed to have the home field advantage. Lyserg seemed stuck on Yoh like fresh gum, but Yoh had been taken, thank god, or maybe he might not have had the chance. Horo had been another contender but Choco was willing to let it slide, that Lyserg had only saved Horo's life because they were friends. And Horo was already interested in Ren, even if Kororo happened to be his dead girlfriend. He didn't know anything about the X-Laws, but he was willing to bet that despite the pedophilic vibes of the obnoxious blonde leader, he could be sure Lyserg was still fresh goods, that cute little smile, those green eyes.

Presently the train lurched and Lyserg was jolted awake, his eyes wide with alarm as he fell forward, quickly caught by the boy next to him. Choco marvels at the contrast, his dark skin pressed against Lyserg's almost angelic glow. The touch stays for a moment, then a moment more, then a breath more. Lyserg knows the implications of the hold, an embrace shabbily disguised as concern. His grip of Choco's shirt tightens.

"Stay with me," he murmurs, bringing himself closer than he previously dared, until their eyelashes touch, his breath catches.

--

They stay in London; there is nothing waiting for Choco in America. The comedian attempts a Cockney accent and fails horribly. Lyserg finds his grandfather's home, left for him in the inheritance.

They find jobs; it would be horribly arrogant of him to become a sheltered rich brat and besides with the economy as it is, it would only be beneficial. And teenagers work anyway. Choco finds work at a grocery store of all places; Lyserg takes refuge in a public library. The library is a mansion of books and knowledge (and a few lecherous old men but Phyllis from global studies takes care of them), and silence is abundant in large quantities. It is a place where thoughts roam, ideas come to fruition, decisions made.

This wasn't what he had planned it all out to be, Lyserg thinks one day as he shelves from sticky books in the children's section. His parents often told him stories about his future, filled with imaginative romanticism, a pretty wife, a steady job. But they had known, he thinks. They had known since before he was aware. They had watched it all from their perch, had seen the way he had been drawn into Yoh's sphere, seen how he had fallen into and out of love with the spacey shaman, seen him try and find his way into the group, only to be caught by the carefree comedian (not) of the group, accepting and grinning (save Ryu, but Ryu was _always_ grinning at him) at him when they had turned away.

"Stay with me," Choco had said when Lyserg was about to leave. "They'll come around."

Lyserg hadn't been aware that he was still holding the story book about Cinderella, hovering in midair as he was about to shelve it until a little girl pulled at his shirt and asked for it.

--

They had been bound by friendship, a duty to save the world, and shamanism, among other things. That night, Choco had taken Lyserg for his own and Lyserg fell, trusting in strong arms to catch him if he couldn't cushion his own drop.

Choco wakens a time later to see Lyserg crying next to him, the sheets unable to mask the soft afterglow of that flawless skin. The shimmering tears fall like opals from an emerald sky and drench the hands fumbling to wipe them away. Choco holds him close, murmurs consolations, and Lyserg leans up and tells him quietly it was his first time.

Choco reacts appropriately; he gets anxious, apologizes for being too rough (not that he can really say he has had the experience), assures that he used protection, worries about pregnancy. Lyserg stops crying a little, a shy smile gracing his face in the darkness and reminds Choco that he cannot get pregnant. He touches Choco's scar on his forehead as he speaks, talking about intimacy and despite all those rumors, he had never attended one of Lucky's crazy parties that would make even the Maiden's hair curl unpleasantly. He kisses Choco gently, admits that he has never been this close to anyone before.

"Stay with me," he whispers, the tears falling freely again and Choco is quick enough to catch every single one.

--

They have their first fight over the strangest thing. The most mundane thing. Choco calls Lyserg 'baby' and they have a row about it, Lyserg crossing his girlish arms and saying it was the most derogative term he had ever been called and even if he did look feminine, it wasn't nice to rub it in. Choco defended that it was only called in an affectionate way and if he didn't like it, why was he blushing so much? Lyserg stormed off and Choco let him; they needed space to blow off steam.

After a while, the whole thing seems silly (and Choco depends on Lyserg to cook for him) and the comedian decides to go find the stubborn Brit. Mick helps him but Lyserg has hidden his furyoku well and they are led on a city-wide chase to find the boy. There are so many places the dowser could be and he also knew the place better than he did. Choco, despite his tracker spirit's ability, was led into many odd ended alleys and he was about to find some official help when he spotted Lyserg standing on a bridge, looking out at his reflection.

He sneaks up on the boy (Mick's other ability is stealth, after all) and grabs Lyserg around the waist without warning, startling the greenette. He makes a good thug, Choco realizes, as Lyserg acts as if he's being kidnapped and shouts for help, although he is relieved to hear his name out of all the names Lyserg calls out before he covers the struggling boy's mouth before they do alert the authorities. Lyserg is angry but gets over it quickly when Chocolove offers apologies and smiles when the latter pulls him closer.

"Stay with me, okay?" Choco says, and Lyserg laughs, agreeing to the deal with a kiss.

--

Life is not always as spotless as they'd like it to be.

_Ooh, got your girlfriend pregnant yet, pal?_

_It must be great until the pants come off, eh?_

_You people are the reason why society is failing! You anti-family people!_

_Aren't you going to say anything? You little slave? You little hermaphrodite?_

They laugh and tease and hit and jab until every single word is painful and even the intake of breath from these haters seems to be icy cold, as if stealing the breath from their lungs as they talk. These are people who they have seen before, who have given them strange looks if they hold hands in public. These are people whom they haven't seen before, who say they support but instantly jump on the bandwagon and denounce. They are people who are the minority. They represent.

Choco makes a move to roughen up these thugs, who cackle as they scatter. He makes a move after them but stops when Lyserg pulls at his arm, looking hurt but worried.

"Stay with me," he says, almost orders. There is no point in getting upset if these people won't change themselves. Choco takes a breath and takes him away where the words are warm again and the people are friendly. Thank the spirits there are enough of them to take these memories away.

--

They grow older and time does not look the other way, even for shamans. Choco grows up and out, becoming a rather hefty opposition which stops all the haters from coming their way. He has falling ins with his old gang members. He works around. He comes back to Lyserg every night.

Lyserg, even though feminine and pretty as a child, grows up as well, now earning attention from not only the men but the women around them as well. He has left the library and now works in a police station. He solves crimes, he becomes the detective he always wanted to be. He waits up every night for Choco.

Life is quiet and sweet for a while.

Then Choco is arrested. He was caught trying to stop a gang fight and the police did a background check on each suspect and Choco's history before the Tournament finally catches up to him. He will be tried. He will or will not be prosecuted. Lyserg is in the courtroom, an environment that he has gotten used to, watching as the other shaman is led away, Mick drifting behind him sadly. Choco requests to speak to Lyserg once more before being behind bars for a mysterious amount of time.

Choco goes on about unfinished business and strange being-in-a-bad-place-at-a-bad-time and what if Yoh found him here of all places and that the woman living next to them has been keeping her eyes on the dowser for a while but Choco didn't want to say anything and…

"Stay with me…" Choco says, knowing he sounds as pitiful and pleading as before. He looks as he sounds, dressed in orange and hand-cuffed. The metal bounds don't stop him from catching Lyserg's hands. Lyserg leans forward and kisses him, assuring him that he won't stray, that he'll be waiting for the day where things would go back to normal. Things will be okay.

--

Lyserg cannot defend Choco in court; that would be unfair ground. When the going gets bleak, angels in the form of Ryu and Hana appear in their glorious light and with a few strings, Choco is freed. Yoh needs his fire elemental warriors. They will come meet him.

They gather. Horo, as unkempt as always, teases everyone and proves that time doesn't change everyone. Ren comes with a child, proving that time _can_. Lyserg asks about Jeanne; Ren replies she is fine. Hana wants to know about everyone. Ryu wants to catch up. There is hardly enough time left to talk alone before they must go meet Yoh and Anna.

Somehow they are lucky enough to catch this chance when Horo goes off to buy fish cupcakes, Ren goes to care for his kid, and Ryu chases after Hana after the young Asakura runs off. They visit the sites of Funbari, which neither are as familiar with them as their friends. The ocean is as glittery as possible and the sun sets slowly, the same sun that had watched them all grow over the years. The breeze feels friendly. It brings with it the ominous feeling of change.

Lyserg turns to Choco. For a moment, he feels small again, defending himself from perverts trying to stare up his short shorts and Choco being a horrible comedian again. Choco hasn't cracked many jokes as he used to. Things have changed. "Stay with me," he says quietly.

Choco stares at him. Before he can respond, Horo runs up, followed by Ren and finally Ryu and Hana. They set off to Funbari Inn. The air is light and the atmosphere friendly. Choco meets Lyserg's eye and nods.

They have stayed together for so long.

They will stay together again.

Some things never change.

So they can find it in themselves to laugh when Manta tries to flirt with Tamao again, when Horo asks Ren why he looks like his sister, when Anna slaps Yoh again. If they squint, they can see their younger selves and nothing has changed.

Owari

--

Note: So much for feel-good. You say this pairing doesn't exist? You say? Well, explain this: when they met up again 7 years later, Choco and Lyserg came together. And it's sort of canon…Takei draws them together a lot. I'll admit some things…Yoh's a dad. Hao's dead. Ren's married…not that many pairings up in the air that are realistic anymore. No wonder this category's dying. But I haven't died as of yet! I will still resurface now and then (for more stories, I've been frequenting the Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Hetalia stories), Mankinfan as always! And there will always been teenage experimentation…(evil laughter) Review!!!! I IMPLORE you!


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